ISWTDB Ch89

Chapter 89: The President Is Very Fierce (19, 20)

So, the two of them lived happily together, and before they knew it, more than two months had passed. During this time, they also registered their marriage online.

In this world, marriage registration can be done online as long as the necessary documents are provided, which Ying Zhao found very convenient.

After all, both he and Shi Yanchen were public figures. Dating and marriage were two entirely different matters, and since Ying Zhao still had some face-slapping scenes to go through with the male and female leads, it was more advantageous not to announce the marriage for the time being.

Although Shi Yanchen was dissatisfied with not being able to make their marriage public, after Ying Zhao personally comforted him, his mood eventually improved. However, he did promise that they would make it public within a year.

While enjoying sweet moments with his lover, Ying Zhao did not forget to have System Xiao Bai constantly monitor his troublesome relatives and the movements of the male and female leads.

Xiao Bai was quite tactful and, even though it received orders from Ying Zhao, wouldn’t send any bothersome feedback unless there was something special to report.

If not for Xiao Bai suddenly telling Ying Zhao during dinner that the female lead, Su Ying, had already slept with Ying Chenghao, Ying Zhao would have almost forgotten he had given such an order.

He then reflected a little—being with his lover had indeed made him a bit lazy. All he thought about every day was sweet moments with his man, almost forgetting about slapping faces and dealing with scum.

However, given the female lead’s current level, it was quite surprising that she had made contact with the male lead so quickly.

After all, in the original storyline, Su Ying became a top national star before she had any cooperation with the male lead, Ying Chenghao.

They then continued to work together, maintaining an ambiguous relationship, and it was only after Su Ying gained international fame as a film queen that they publicly got together.

He didn’t expect that in this lifetime, the two of them would hook up so quickly, even though Su Ying was still just an unknown little celebrity.

However, everything was explained after a phone call from Mu Qing. Like Ying Zhao, Mu Qing was also well-versed in the plot, so he naturally paid close attention to Su Ying and Ying Chenghao.

He knew that deep down, Ying Chenghao was both insecure and arrogant, always extremely jealous of Ying Ruihan. So, psychologically, he always wanted to suppress Ying Ruihan and take away the things that Ying Ruihan liked.

After learning how Su Ying usually boasted about her relationship with Ying Zhao within the film crew, Mu Qing casually provided a bit of convenience, allowing Ying Chenghao and Su Ying to have some interaction.

Then, Mu Qing made sure Ying Chenghao heard from others that Su Ying had an extraordinary relationship with Ying Ruihan, and that Ying Ruihan had been pursuing Su Ying. Naturally, this led Ying Chenghao to make a move on Su Ying.

After learning about Mu Qing’s handiwork, Ying Zhao praised him enthusiastically and even promised to treat him to a big meal on Sunday.

After hanging up the phone, Ying Zhao sighed with emotion. No matter how unreliable Mu Qing usually seemed, this guy was indeed a godsend at critical moments.

With a good mood, Ying Zhao smiled, and Shi Yanchen, who was slicing fruit nearby, immediately looked up and stuffed a piece of apple into his mouth.

Glancing at the name on the call log, Shi Yanchen calmly said, “It’s Li Ge again. You seem to have a good relationship with him.”

Ying Zhao squinted at Shi Yanchen, then pinched his nose hard, smiling as he said, “Yes, we are close. Are you jealous?”

Shi Yanchen heard Ying Zhao’s words, pursed his lips, hugged Ying Zhao tightly, buried his head deeply in his neck, and said in a muffled voice, “Yes, I’m jealous.”

“You’re being unreasonable,” Ying Zhao complained, but he felt sweet inside.

He patted Shi Yanchen’s back soothingly and said with a bit of amusement, “I’ve told you many times, my relationship with Li Ge is really just friendship, and we’ve been good friends for many years. Besides, he has a partner!”

Shi Yanchen nodded when he heard this, but still leaned on Ying Zhao’s shoulder, unwilling to lift his head.

Although he knew that Ying Zhao sincerely liked him and that his relationship with Li Ge was just a normal one between colleagues and friends, Shi Yanchen couldn’t suppress the jealousy in his heart.

Even though he knew his feelings might be a bit unreasonable, he couldn’t control them. He felt that he couldn’t bear for Ying Zhao to devote even a tiny bit of attention to anyone or anything else.

He wished that the world had only the two of them, so that Ying Zhao would only see and care about him.

When he thought about how Ying Zhao had just said on the phone that he would treat Li Ge to a meal on Sunday and even cook personally, Shi Yanchen felt even more uncomfortable.

After all, the food made by his lover should be only for him to eat; why should it be shared with someone so unimportant? If they had to entertain, they could simply go to a restaurant.

So, after considering his upcoming schedule, Shi Yanchen casually said to Ying Zhao, “Ruihan, I happen to have a charity dinner to attend on Sunday, and I’m supposed to bring a partner. You’ll come with me, right?”

Ying Zhao raised his eyebrows at Shi Yanchen’s words and looked straight into his eyes. He only nodded after seeing that Shi Yanchen felt a bit guilty. With some regret, he said, “It seems I’ll have to break my promise and tell Li Ge that I can’t treat him to dinner on Sunday.”

Seeing Shi Yanchen nod vigorously at his words, Ying Zhao sighed inwardly but also found it amusing.

Even though he knew Shi Yanchen did it on purpose, he still found his lover’s possessiveness incredibly endearing.

Thus, in response to Mu Qing’s disappointed tone, Ying Zhao had to break the bad news that he wouldn’t be able to treat him to dinner on Sunday. Then, without any guilt, he went with Shi Yanchen to get their custom-made outfits for the charity dinner.

Although he hadn’t fulfilled Shi Yanchen’s wish to wear matching cartoon outfits during their last shopping trip, their formal attire for the dinner was, in fact, a matching set.

However, Ying Zhao’s outfit was a size smaller than Shi Yanchen’s, with a slightly tailored waistline, and some modifications in the accessories. The overall style and patterns were still identical.

Since this was his first time attending a charity dinner with his lover and making a public appearance together, Ying Zhao had planned to get ready early and head out.

But who would have thought that after carefully preparing his look and just coming downstairs, he would be pounced on by Shi Yanchen, who had fire in his eyes, and be playfully pinned down on the sofa?

Ying Zhao looked at his now wrinkled suit and twitched the corner of his mouth. He looked at Shi Yanchen with some grievance and smiled helplessly, “Look at this suit. What should we do now?”

Shi Yanchen, feeling a bit guilty, touched his nose. But deep down, he didn’t blame himself; instead, he thought it was his lover’s fault for being too attractive.

He had been waiting patiently downstairs, but when he saw Ying Zhao walk down in a black, finely tailored suit, his tall figure paired with that perfect, angelic face was simply irresistible.

Fortunately, Shi Yanchen had the foresight to prepare a backup suit. However, the shirt inside had been torn beyond repair, so they had to replace the black shirt with a white one.

Seeing the backup suit already prepared, Ying Zhao raised an eyebrow. He shot a sidelong glance at Shi Yanchen, immediately realizing that this guy had planned everything from the start.

But changing the shirt to white wasn’t a bad idea; standing next to Shi Yanchen, who was still in black, they looked even more perfectly matched.

Because of Shi Yanchen’s antics, the two of them arrived at the banquet hall later than expected, and most of the guests had already arrived. Ying Zhao, known for his top-notch looks, naturally attracted everyone’s attention as soon as they entered the banquet hall.

However, only a select few heads of top-tier families knew about Ying Zhao’s special status as the head of the Ying family. And it was clear that the guest list for today’s charity dinner wasn’t as high-profile as expected.

Although these dinners were always an opportunity for networking, this particular event had few attendees from the older generation.

Most of the people there that day were either wealthy young elites using the place as a social venue or young people, so most only knew that Ying Zhao was a star.

Ying Zhao and Shi Yanchen walked together, both tall and slender. Although they wore the same style of dress, one looked wild, while the other exuded noble elegance. Despite their completely contrasting auras, they appeared unusually harmonious together.

Of course, with Ying Zhao’s face, no matter what he wore, he always became the center of attention.

People were visual creatures, which was why Ying Zhao’s admirers were spread across the country. Naturally, at the party, many young men and women cast admiring glances at him.

However, these looks instantly set off Shi Yanchen, who seemed like a lion guarding its territory. He tightly wrapped his arm around Ying Zhao’s shoulders, pulling him close to his body. Then, with a stern expression, he glared at those who gazed longingly at his treasure.

Shi Yanchen’s intimidating gaze and strong aura made the people who had been immersed in Ying Zhao’s beauty snap back to reality. They couldn’t withstand Shi Yanchen’s cold stare and quickly turned their heads, no longer looking at Ying Zhao.

At this charity banquet, Ying Zhao also encountered two familiar faces, the male and female leads whom he hadn’t seen for many days.

The banquet allowed guests to bring companions, so unless someone was single, most attendees brought their legitimate partners.

Thus, many were surprised that Ying Chenghao’s companion was an eighteen-line small-time actress named Su Ying.

Although Ying Chenghao was a nationally renowned film emperor, many in the business world also knew that he was the son of Ying Lifeng, the young master of the Ying family.

Even though the head of the Ying family had reduced his appearances since taking over, the family remained small in number. Therefore, those close to the core, such as Ying Lifeng and Ying Chenghao, had become the objects of flattery.

Even though Ying Lifeng now controlled very few of the Ying family’s assets, the family’s backing was significant enough that, aside from a few top families, others had to show him some respect. As his son, Ying Chenghao naturally enjoyed a great deal of prestige.

The reason Ying Chenghao brought Su Ying that day was because he knew that Shi Yanchen was invited to the charity banquet and that he would likely bring Ying Zhao along.

Since learning about Su Ying’s relationship with Ying Ruihan in the crew, Ying Chenghao had set his sights on this woman who had frequently shown goodwill towards him.

Although he initially found it hard to believe that such an ordinary woman could attract Ying Ruihan, he discovered that Su Ying was indeed Ying Ruihan’s assistant, and that Ying Ruihan had taken care of her, providing her with many resources.

Su Ying even confessed that Ying Ruihan had explained that his relationship with Shi Yanchen was merely contractual.

Although he didn’t know why Ying Ruihan accepted such a contract, he knew that Ying Ruihan was generally cold and distant with people.

It was rare for him to take care of someone, so Su Ying’s ability to receive such treatment indicated that she must have exceptional qualities.

However, in the process of interacting with her, Ying Chenghao found that Su Ying seemed to be an ordinary woman with no exceptional qualities.

He could say that he didn’t have to exert much effort to get her to approach him. Within a few days, they had a physical relationship.

Despite Su Ying’s attempts to act innocent in bed, Ying Chenghao, who had seen many people, knew that Su Ying was not as naive as she appeared.

Combined with previous rumors in the crew about Su Ying and a certain director, Ying Chenghao thought of her as a woman who used her body to exchange for resources.

But as long as this woman was important to Ying Ruihan, Ying Chenghao didn’t mind spending more time with her.

Especially that day, at this charity banquet, bringing the woman he had taken from another, showing off their intimacy, and thinking about how Ying Ruihan would feel upset made him secretly excited.

Recalling the last time he saw Ying Zhao, who had rejected the family alliance so decisively and publicly embarrassed him and his father, Ying Chenghao felt a surge of resentment.

Because Ying Zhao’s refusal of the marriage alliance caused the cooperation project between his father and the Wang Group to fall through, and he had no interest in the Wang Miss anymore.

He had not expected that the woman who had once seemed obedient would be so persistent, causing him considerable trouble to get rid of her.

Now, seeing Ying Zhao again, Ying Chenghao’s mouth curled into a malicious smile. Noticing that Shi Yanchen had left for some reason, he deliberately wrapped his arm around Su Ying’s waist and walked up to Ying Zhao in an affectionate manner.

He nodded towards him with a smile and said, “Ruihan, I didn’t expect you to be here too. Let me introduce my girlfriend, Su Ying.”

Su Ying had noticed Ying Zhao and Shi Yanchen’s arrival the moment they entered the banquet hall. Now, facing Ying Zhao, she felt a mix of complex emotions.

She took Ying Ruihan’s kindness as a matter of course. Since he did not confess his feelings, she did not break the silence and continued their ambiguous relationship.

However, attending the banquet as Ying Chenghao’s girlfriend made Su Ying feel a bit guilty facing Ying Zhao, though she had no regrets.

For Su Ying, an actress who relied solely on her looks, Ying Chenghao, who had become a film emperor and had the support of a wealthy family, was far superior. Su Ying naturally chose Ying Chenghao without hesitation.

Moreover, Su Ying had initially been a fan of Ying Chenghao and had entered the industry hoping for a chance to collaborate with him.

Su Ying still naively believed that her recent role in a drama with Ying Chenghao was due to her previous inappropriate relationship with the director, who used his connections to get her this opportunity.

Over the past few days, Su Ying felt as if she was living in a dream, having actually ended up with her idol. The two of them had already been intimate, which made Su Ying feel that all the unpleasant things she had done before were worth it.

But she hadn’t expected that when Ying Chenghao introduced her to Ying Zhao, he would address him as “brother.”

So what kind of relationship did they have, and why did Ying Chenghao address him so intimately? Could it be that Ruihan also had some family background?

Su Ying’s heart tightened instantly. In Ying Chenghao’s eyes, however, Su Ying’s nervousness was a good sign. He thought it was because she felt guilty for betraying Ying Zhao, which made her uncomfortable.

Ying Zhao heard Ying Chenghao’s words but didn’t show any change in expression. He simply nodded expressionlessly at them and prepared to turn away.

But Ying Chenghao had come specifically to make his presence felt and wasn’t about to let him leave just like that.

He quickly blocked Ying Zhao’s path with a smiling face and said in a familiar tone, “Ruihan, it’s been so long. Why are you in such a hurry to leave? Why don’t you stay and chat with us? By the way, you should know my girlfriend. I heard from Xiao Ying that she used to be your assistant.”

Ying Zhao nodded upon hearing this. Su Ying had indeed been his assistant. Even though he no longer took on entertainment industry work, Su Ying’s acting contracts were still signed under Yixing.

As the hidden boss of Yixing, he could easily blacklist Su Ying at any time, denying her any resources.

Ying Zhao looked at Ying Chenghao, who had come forward voluntarily, and deliberately ignored him. He let Ying Chenghao’s silence be interpreted as dissatisfaction at seeing Su Ying with him, which only made Ying Chenghao feel more pleased.

Seeing the obvious tension between the two, Su Ying couldn’t help but ask, “Chenghao, you called him Ruihan. Did you two know each other in the past?”

Ying Chenghao nodded and said with some exaggeration, “Of course we know each other. He’s my cousin!”

Having said this, Ying Chenghao intended to leave it at that. However, after he made this statement, Ying Zhao provocatively showed a smile.

Looking back and forth between Su Ying and Ying Chenghao, he nodded in satisfaction and said, “Chenghao, your choice of girlfriend is quite good. By the way, didn’t Old Master Ying always say he wanted a grandson? I think Miss Su here is gentle and graceful. The children you have after marriage will certainly be excellent.”

After saying this to Ying Chenghao, Ying Zhao ignored his increasingly fierce expression and turned to Su Ying. He continued, “Xiao Ying, you might not know this, but Old Master Ying is a major figure. He’s the head of the Ying family’s old generation, which is behind the Yingshi Group. In other words, he’s your boyfriend’s grandfather. You’re truly fortunate.”

Upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words, Su Ying was instantly stunned, her eyes wide with shock. Although she knew Ying Chenghao had a prominent background, she had only thought of him as a typical wealthy family member. She never expected the Ying family behind him to be the renowned Yingshi Group.

It was known that the Yingshi Group’s financial power was immense, rumored to have a hidden national wealth that rivaled countries. However, the president of the Yingshi Group had been so low-key that his identity had never been publicly revealed.

So, could it be that this hidden rich man was Old Master Ying, Ying Chenghao’s grandfather?

As an ordinary person from a regular family, even though she had entered the entertainment industry, Su Ying didn’t know many wealthy families.

She only had a limited understanding of these elite circles. Su Ying was currently an eighteen-line small star, and her exposure to high levels was limited.

This sudden stroke of good fortune made her feel a bit dizzy. She felt extremely lucky and thought that as long as she could hold onto Ying Chenghao, she could naturally marry into the Ying family and become the young mistress of a top wealthy family.

Especially since Ying Zhao had just mentioned that Old Master Ying wanted a grandson.

Yes, a child! If she could really give birth to a son or daughter, they would surely be heirs to the Yingshi Group. Thinking of this, Su Ying’s heart burned with excitement.

However, Ying Chenghao’s face darkened upon hearing Ying Zhao’s words. To him, Su Ying was merely a woman with decent looks. Marrying such a woman and having children with her was out of the question!

Originally, being with this woman was partly because she somewhat met his tastes, but also to annoy Ying Zhao.

Although he had previously spoken with Su Ying and knew she was unaware of Ying Ruihan’s true identity, Ying Chenghao always thought Ruihan was seeking some kind of true love.

But Ying Zhao’s repeated suggestions that he marry Su Ying and have children, along with hinting that his grandfather was the real head of the Yingshi Group, left him confused about the meaning behind it.

While he was thinking, Shi Yanchen walked over from a distance. He attentively brought Ying Zhao’s favorite pastries and drinks, completely ignoring Su Ying and Ying Chenghao as if they were invisible.

Shi Yanchen leaned in and spoke intimately with Ying Zhao, his gaze filled with affection almost to the point of overflowing. Ying Zhao’s natural and intimate actions in response to Shi Yanchen were certainly genuine.

After so many years as an actor, Ying Chenghao believed he could discern what was real. So, could it be that their relationship was not just a contract as Su Ying had claimed but genuine love?

Realizing this, Ying Chenghao felt a chill, thinking that he must have been deceived by the woman beside him.

He had thought being with this woman would make Ying Zhao angry and alleviate his own resentment. But he hadn’t expected to be the one played. Turning his head, Ying Chenghao’s gaze towards Su Ying instantly turned hostile.